A. Prior Art
Suspending ceiling systems are well known in the building construction arts as a convenient solution to the problem of providing a ceiling at a given height above the floor without requiring a carefully laid-out system of girders and joists. Such a ceiling can be suspended at the desired height by wires from combination hook and nail devices driven into the existing ceiling or any conveniently located existing overhead structure. Components for such prior art modular suspended ceiling systems are illustrated, for example, on page 1012 of the Sears, Roebuck and Co, Fall and Winter 1979 catalogue.
In these conventional suspended ceiling systems, there is provided a horizontal assembly of regularly spaced grid work comprising main T's, cross T's and (optionally) wall angles, all conveniently fabricated from metal.
Modular panels (which may be, for example, acoustical wood-fiber panels, or panels of fire-retardant insulative materials such as Fiberglass, or clear acrylic prismatic diffuser panels) are dimensioned to fit inside the openings of the grid work and are held in place by the horizontally projecting lower edges of said cross T's, main T's and wall angles. The standard modular dimensions for such prior art systems are 2'.times.2' and 2'.times.4'.
Such prior art systems, although easily erected, have a rather unattractive appearance resulting from the mass-produced functionality of the exposed grid work and the barren regularity of the associated plastic (or other synthetic material) panels.
On the other hand, ceilings are also known in the prior art wherein sheets of plywood or other natural material are nailed to conventional ceiling girders and joists, with wooden moulding strips being employed to hide the joints between said panels. Such a ceiling, while giving its room the "warmth" that can be obtained only by the use of natural materials requires that each panel and moulding strip b individually fitted and secured in place by a skilled carpenter. Furthermore, individual panels cannot be readily removed to permit access to space thereabove and accordingly, any electrical conduits, lighting fixtures, air ducts or other equipment contained in said space cannot be readily accessed for repairs or improvements.
B. Brief Description
Briefly, in accordance with the teachings of my invention, I have improved and modified the suspended ceiling support main and cross-T's of the prior art by including their horizontal lower portion inside a suitably dimensioned key-shaped slot in wood trim strips, providing notches upwardly at appropriated intervals in the upper surface of those wood strips that are associated with the main-T's and making the wood strips of the cross-T's somewhat shorter than the cross-T's themselves, thereby allowing the cross-T's and main-T's to be assembled leaving only wood and not bare or painted metal visible from below.
Furthermore, in accordance with other teachings of my invention, instead of the conventional acoustical wood fiber panels or insulated fiberglass panels or prismatic acrylic plastic panels of the prior art, I employ a novel wooden ceiling panel with a rectangular sheet having wood veneer covering its exposed lower surface and having at its four outer edges hardwood moulding depending therefrom, said hardwood moulding being fastened to each other and to the flat panel to provide a recessed three-dimensional effect, especially in combination with the wood strips of the grid system, said wooden strips obscuring any imperfections in the fit of the individual panels or deviations from precise 90.degree. angles where the main-T's and cross-T's join one another and at the same time obscuring any visible fastening means that was used to join the mouldings to one another or to the horizontal panels.
Thus I have a ceiling having all of the appearance, warmth, beauty and elegance of a custom-made, hand-crafted, wood-paneled ceiling, while at the same time having the convenient erection capability and convenient access for repair purposes of a conventional suspended ceiling.